The Return of A Fallen Hero
by saturn95
Summary: You know the famous saying "all good things must come to end" right? Well, ten years ago, Mario and Luigi parted ways and Mario has been fighting Bowser on his own. However, Mario ends up losing against the dictator which ultimately leads to ultimate takeover by him over the entire planet. Mario is now virtually powerless and unable to defeat the Koopa King. Then, Luigi returns...
1. A Cold Reunion

A Cold Reunion

Mario scratched his mustache and looked out the window with sad eyes as a band of Koopa Troops stormed the streets of what was once the peaceful Toad Town. A building across the street had recently caught on fire as Koopas raiding its residents and left them for dead for no apparent reason. These and many other violent acts are just a few of the deadly side effects of the recent takeover of the Mushroom Kingdom and the rest of the planet. The person in charge now? None other than the devil himself: the ruthless and unforgiving Bowser, former dictator of the Darklands, now the dictator of the entire world, except for maybe a few lucky areas, but that is just about all the freedom left in the world one could possibly get.

Mario, the once beloved hero and future king of the Mushroom Kingdom, was now in his late thirties and all alone in a state of depression, fighting for his life just like every other unlucky soul that had fallen victim to Bowser's evil political regime. In the world's most vital moment since the events that made him a hero in the first place, he had failed to live up to his lifelong promise to defeat the evil dictator for good. His fighting skills were now utterly useless, for Bowser has used up every last bit of star and mushroom power in the world for the creation of his empire and overpowering army of super Koopas. The thought of it only made Mario furious. He scratched his head and felt a single stand land on the palm of his hand: his first gray hair.

_This is my entire fault._ Mario thought as he started to tear up. _I really thought I could beat him once and for all! But now, all I have left are the remains of what used to be a glorious life. My wife and children have since left me. Everyone else that I know, or used to know, has either been killed or has left the Kingdom altogether. And my brother..._

Mario walked over to a nearby wall and found a crooked picture hanging next to the broken digital clock. It was a picture of him and Luigi taken back in 1991, just shortly after their adventure through Dinosaur Land. They were still wearing their trademark red and green, standing over their friend Yoshi with one of their trademark poses: brothers giving high-fives to each other. No matter where he looked in the picture, Mario's eyes kept glancing back to his brother, and every time they did, he became even more depressed. The times he had once shared with his brother have since ended long ago, and now Mario was just another one of Bowser's hopeless victims.

"It's been years since I've seen my brother." Mario said to himself. "I never meant to drive him away at the height of our popularity. I wish could just kick myself in the face a million times for taking all of the credit for protecting the Mushroom Kingdom. What the hell was I thinking?! Where could my twin brother be?!"

Ten years ago, Mario and Luigi were fighting back to back against Bowser in one of their many battles against the dictator, when tensions between the two brothers were already dangerously high. This was due to the unfortunate circumstance of Mario taking most, if not all, of the credit for protecting the Mushroom Kingdom after every battle they finished. It was during the brothers' last battle together when Bowser was about to pound Mario into the ground when Luigi risked his own life to protect his older brother from the fatal blow, by jumping out in front and shoving his brother to the side. He hoped that the Kingdom would once again recognize him as a vital factor for the protection of the Mushroom Kingdom for his courageous actions. However, Mario had once again unwittingly taken all of the credit for the battle, and the last words Mario ever heard from his younger brother were: "_I'm tired of living in your shadow, Mario. I hope you're happy, because I am downright miserable and I never want to see you again!_"

However, in spite of Luigi's fiery departure, Mario believed that his anger would not last very long and that he would soon return to once again help drive Bowser away. He continued fighting Bowser and rescuing his wife, the then Princess Peach, along with his two children from his evil grasp for the next five years until that one fateful day when Peach decided enough was enough. She, along with their two children, left Mario the day before Bowser defeated Mario in a duel, which little did he know, would determine the future of the world. He watched as Town Toad burned to the ground and saw Bowser and cronies march into the town as they formed their new world order right before his eyes. The once lovely and bright Toad Town was now literally darkened by the shadow of evil. The sky had since been blocked out by a large and expensive saucer-like structure that is supported in the center by a solitary, yet durable column structure. Above the saucer was a large monstrous city infested with Koopas and a central headquarters building where Bowser himself now calls home, since his old home was insufficient for his new power. The greenery that once ruled the city of Toad Town had since died out and the entire Toad region had become a large desert plain. Peach's once lovely castle had since fallen to ruin as well, only to serve as a sad reminder of how wonderful things had once been in the Mushroom Kingdom. The air was also severely polluted and the water supply was not any better. As a result, most of the thousands of people trapped underneath the saucer periodically fell victim to extensive sickness and disease. Death was also a common sight throughout the dirty crime-infested streets, while the buildings themselves were crumbling at their very foundations.

Mario set the picture down on the nearby coffee table and wiped the tears that were running down his face. He wanted to kill himself for everything that has happened to the kingdom and the rest of the world, yet at the same time he hoped that one day, there would be a miracle that would be powerful enough to wipe the evil away. Still, he did not hesitate to grab the large butcher knife from the kitchen drawer.

Suddenly, he heard a loud knock vibrate the front door of his apartment suite (or what was left of it). Mario jumped and immediately began to think of the worst.

_It's the bill collector! _Mario thought as dropped the knife to the floor. _I haven't paid the rent since last month!_

The door banged once more and Mario slowly walked towards the door to see who it was. He looked through the tiny lens in the door and saw a mysterious man dressed in dark colors and wearing a brown trench coat. His pants were black and his shirt was a dark gray, while his face, except for his cold blue eyes, was obscured by a black mask and the hood of his trench coat. On his back was a large sword blade attached to a leather strap which he had wrapped around his body for easy carrying and accessibility. Mario felt the door bang once again as he pulled his body away from the door.

"What do you want?!" Mario shouted. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Open the damned door!" said the man's deep, dark voice. "We have some unfinished business to attend to!"

"If this is about last month's payment, I can explain..." Mario begged.

"Screw the fucking payment! Just open the damned door!" said the mysterious man. "We need to talk Mr. Mario!"

Mario slowly opened the door with a shaky hand and felt his wrist being grabbed by the mysterious man. He pushed Mario back into the apartment and slammed the door behind him, shoving Mario against the wall.

"Now, allow me to reintroduce myself!" said the mysterious man.

"Do I know you?" Mario asked in a frightened tone.

The man eased his grip and removed the black mask that was covering his face revealing a full head of brown hair, a large nose, and a neatly cut mustache.

"Remember me, _brother_?" said the mysterious man, who was not so mysterious anymore and was giving a slight smile.

"I...It can't be!" Mario stuttered. "Luigi?! Is that really you?!"

"It's been a long time..." Luigi said. "How have you been?"

"G...good. I guess..." Mario said, still frightened by Luigi's sudden appearance.

"Sit down." Luigi said. "We need to talk..."


	2. Drastic and Subtle Changes

Drastic and Subtle Changes

Mario sat across from his brother in the opposite couch as they began to converse. He was still unable to get over how much Luigi has changed in the past ten years. His overall appearance was much more gothic; his green shirt was replaced by a dull gray, his pants went from blue to black, his skin a little paler, and his eyes were bloodshot and tired. Then there was the giant buster sword hanging behind Luigi's back. It almost looked too heavy for Luigi to lift, but he seemed to manage it just fine. The handle featured a large green orb, possibly made of emerald as far as Mario could tell. The blade was about as wide as Luigi's head and extended to about half of Luigi's height in length.

_What has he been up to all this time?_ Mario thought as he examined his brother, who happened to be looking back at him with a disintegrating glare. He became nervous and wondered why Luigi would come back in a seemingly sudden manner for no apparent reason whatsoever. _Is he still mad at me for what happened back then? _Mario thought as they began to talk.

"So, Luigi..." Mario began as he cleared his throat. "Long time no see."

"Indeed." Luigi replied. "I see that you've changed quite a bit. Where is Peach? Is she still alive?"

"She left me five years ago and took the children with her." Mario asked. "Why do you ask whether or not she is still alive?"

"Are you blind?!" Luigi said, raising his voice. "Can't you see there are people in the streets dying? People that you used to know and love?! My god, brother! What happened to you?!"

"I can't stand watching the world fall apart around me anymore!" Mario said, sobbing as he covered his face to prevent Luigi from seeing and him becoming ashamed. "It's all my fault the world has fallen victim to Bowser! I can't feed myself as often as I should because the prices are simply too high! Hell, I can barely afford to pay my rent, as you may have already noticed!"

"Get a hold of yourself, brother!" Luigi shouted. "I'm here to rescue you from this deathtrap! We need to run away from here!"

"How the hell did you manage to get past all of the security checkpoints and the electric fences?!" Mario asked. "And how did you avoid detection by Bowser's Army of Super Koopas?!"

"That's beside the point." Luigi asked. "We need to get the fuck out of here before anyone finds me here."

"Do you mind me asking where you got your sword?" Mario asked.

"I forged it myself." Luigi replied. "After Bowser stole all of the star power from the world, I figured I would improvise a little in case Bowser decided to raid my place of living. But surprisingly, he hasn't touched Sarasaland that much."

"Where's Daisy?" Mario asked.

"She stayed behind." Luigi replied. "I couldn't risk bringing her along. I love her and my children more than anything in this world. They mean everything to me."

"Are you still mad at me for taking all of the credit for our past adventures?" Mario asked.

Luigi paused and stood up from the couch, looking away from his brother for a moment, and then turning back.

"I wish I could say no, but my feelings about it are still intense." Luigi said. "I still don't get why you had to take credit for everything that I did!"

"I'm sorry, Luigi." Mario asked. "I had no idea what I thinking back there! The fame and fortune got a hold of me so tightly that I never expected to end up like this."

"I've heard enough!" Luigi replied, turning away from his brother. "You sound too much like Bowser when you try to explain yourself like that! You aren't the kind of brother that I used to know almost twenty years ago! You used to be someone who would stick to my side and never push me down into the sand like our cousins, wherever they might be. That's how we both became famous in the first place! But now look at you! You've changed into someone who only cares about himself and not about those who are closest to him, or _were _closest to him in the case between you and me."

"I never intended to let it go that far!" Mario sobbed.

"That's what you said ten years ago!" Luigi replied. "I was right. You're still the greedy and snobby bastard that I knew a decade ago and you haven't changed much since then. No wonder Peach dumped you."

"I beg your pardon?!" Mario asked, now growing furious with his brother. "What did you say about Peach dumping me?!"

"She dumped you because she was tired of your snobby and ego-centric attitude." Luigi asked. "And, she was tired of you letting her be kidnapped by Bowser so many times. She got the impression that you weren't doing your job in protecting her and keeping her safe."

Mario stood up from the couch and grabbed Luigi's shirt as anger began surging through his body.

"Listen to me, Luigi." Mario said furiously. "I don't what kinds of forces have been acting upon you in the time we've been separated, but you've changed quite considerably yourself! You used to be the shy one, the one that would always make others feel better about themselves. But now, you're just about as condescending as nails on a chalkboard! Boy, you have quite the nerve to tell me why my wife left me!"

"Well, its true isn't it?" Luigi asked. "At least, that's the impression I'm getting."

"Just shut up about Peach!" Mario sobbed. "I'm depressed enough already as it is! Just get out of my apartment, Luigi! I don't want to see you again!"

Luigi pushed Mario aside and onto the couch. He was surprised at how strong his brother had gotten since they last met.

"Good!" Luigi said as he made his to the door. "I don't feel like saving your sorry ass anyway. I hope you rot in Hell with Bowser!"

Luigi opened the door to leave, when he suddenly closed the door. He had a frightened expression on his face.

"Well, aren't you going to leave?!" Mario asked.

"Mario, we have to get out of here!" Luigi replied. "They're coming for us! They're just down the hall!"

Suddenly, the window overlooking the ruining city was smashed by a small fleet of Super Koopa Troops and both of the brothers were surrounded. Two more burst through the doorway and grabbed both Mario and Luigi by their wrists. Luigi tried to escape and reach for his sword, but one of the Koopas had already taken it from his back.

"They tracked you down, didn't they?" Mario asked in a milder tone.

"Yes, they did." Luigi whispered.

"Shut up you two!" said one of the Super Koopas as they examined the brothers. The Koopa holding Luigi's sword looked at Mario with a deadly stare.

"So you're the one who has defeated Bowser countless times in the past?!" the Koopa began in a raised voice. "ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION!"

"Yes, but..." Mario began.

"BUT WHAT?!"

"I wasn't the only one involved in trying to dismantle his evil plans." Mario said. "That's a complete misunderstanding!"

"Oh? Well who helped you then?!" the Koopa demanded.

"He did." Mario said, pointing over to Luigi, who was shocked to see his brother open up about the truth of their past adventures and also because of the fact that he was wrong about Mario being greedy and snobby. He really did get a hold of himself!

"Is this your brother?!" the Koopa asked mockingly. "Your partner in crime that you haven't seen for many years?! I always knew Bowser was right about there being two of you! Looks like he was trying to take you away from here, am I right?!"

"Yes." Mario said. "Yes, he was trying to save me from this concentration camp!"

"Well, too bad! You'll never escape from here!" said the Koopa. "Here, I'll even prove it to you!"

He took Luigi's sword in his right hand and slowly aimed the blade at Mario. Then, he swiftly moved the blade and impaled Mario in the stomach, driving the blade through the other side of his body. Mario screamed in pain as blood oozed from the wound and onto the floor.

"MARIO!" Luigi yelled as the tragedy unfolded before his eyes. But what the Koopa did next was even more shocking yet. He then took the grip of the sword and lifted Mario into the air with his super strength while Mario was still struggling to get the blade out and shook his dangling body until Mario stopped moving altogether. Then, the Koopa swung the blade very swiftly and flung Mario's bloody corpse into the nearby entertainment system, causing the whole shelf to collapse on top of him. Blood was spattered across the floor.

"YOU MONSTER!" Luigi cried as tears kept pouring down his face. He suddenly freed himself from the other Koopa's grasp and immediately went after his sword. Mario's murderer tried stabbing Luigi, but Luigi was able to dodge the attack and kick the sword out of his hands. Luigi caught the sword in midair and sliced the Koopa's arm off, sending blood across the room. The Koopa screamed in pain.

"Come and get me, you sons of bitches!" Luigi said.

The other Koopas charged at him furiously and Luigi performed different samurai maneuvers to escape injury. One after another, Luigi stabbed each of the Koopas to their demise, turning the whole apartment into a bloodbath of murder. The first Koopa that lost an arm was still alive on the floor, struggling to get away from Luigi.

"Please! Don't murder me!" he pleaded. Luigi just gave him a deadly glare.

"You would like that wouldn't you?!" Luigi said mockingly, before stabbing and killing him off. After that was taken care of, Luigi ran over to the toppled entertainment center and lifted it back into its original position and found Mario's corpse lying in a pool of blood. He kneeled down and turned his body over to see his face once more.

"Oh, Mario..." Luigi said as he began mourning his brother's gruesome death. "Why did it have to end like this?! You didn't deserve to die! I'm sorry for the bad things I've said to you! Please forgive me! Please!"

Luigi continued sobbing for a few minutes. After he calmed down a bit, he stood back up, wiping the blood from his hands.

"I know Bowser is too powerful for anyone to challenge now, but that isn't going to stop me from finishing our lifetime goal. I'm going to kill Bowser for both us and everyone else on this planet once and for all! When I win, I'll be sure to give you a proper burial. May you rest in peace my brother...one of the greatest people I've ever known...I love you Mario."

Luigi started making his way out of the apartment when he suddenly stepped on something made of glass. He looked down to see what was broken. It was the picture of him and Mario taken on Dinosaur Land back in 1991 after they defeated Bowser on Yoshi's Island. Luigi looked at the picture and felt tears develop in his eyes, then looked back at his brother's mutilated body once again as he left the apartment. He put the picture inside one of the secret pockets of his trench coat and made his way down the hall towards the exit.


	3. Old Enemies New Friends

Old Enemies, New Friends

Throughout the crumbling city, people were running about in the streets as the loud siren blared at the presence of the intruder. Of course, the helpless victims did not consider any outsider as an intruder; they saw it as an opportunity to escape from the deathtrap they were living in, which was once a thriving and peaceful place. In fact, Toad Town was no longer called "Toad Town". Instead, the city was broken into eight different and equally sized districts, each of which corresponding to a different slice of the giant saucer which loomed over the former city. They were all given 'clever' number designations instead of real names, ranging from 1 to 8. The city above the giant saucer structure was broken up in a similar fashion.

As innocent people ran, more Koopas started marching through the streets and started shooting at anyone that crossed their line of sight. Luigi did everything he could to avoid these hazards by sticking to the back ways between the buildings. He ran as fast as he could to avoid getting caught by the oncoming forces, despite his inability to get over the tragedy he had just witnessed. Mario was dead, and Luigi was now just the lonely shadow of his former self. He wondered about Daisy and his two children and whether or not they were still okay back in Sarasaland. His thoughts, as well as his feet, continued to race and Mario's death seemed to dominate his mind every time he tried to think of something else. Luigi could not help but develop more tears in his already hurting eyes as he put his mask back on to avoid being seen by anyone. He pinched himself in vain, hoping that everything that he saw was only a dream and that he would wake up to see his brother alive again. As he half-expected, Luigi was dismayed when nothing around him changed.

_Mario is dead!_ Luigi thought as more tears seeped through his face mask. _My only brother is gone! How could I let something like this happen?! At least he'll be safe with mom and dad, but my god what a gruesome way to die! That should've been me, not him! Get a hold of yourself, Luigi! You're a trained killer, and killers aren't supposed to show any strong emotion!_

Luigi suddenly stopped in the middle of the dark alleyway and began contemplating his thoughts. It was not long before he suddenly spotted something interesting on the wall of the building to his left. It was a faded and ripped up political poster showing a group of angry Mushroom Kingdomers with pitchforks, torches, and guns. Under the people was a caption that read: _Join the SONS OF LUIGI and stop the evil that has taken over our world!_

"Sons of Luigi?" Luigi whispered to himself as he examined the poster further. "They named a political rebellion after _me_?! Where have I been all these years?! I'm surprised Mario never even bothered joining this group...Mario..."

Despite his strict militarily enforced command not to show any strong emotions, Luigi could not hold it in much longer. The tears pouring from his eyes were so heavy; it was almost if he were drowning inside his own mask. Aside from growing up without parents, witnessing the death of his foster parents at a young age, and watching the Mushroom Kingdom fall apart over the past five years, there was nothing more gut wrenching and tragic than the loss of his own brother. Luigi stood back up and wiped the tears from his face.

"Damn it, Luigi!" he said to himself. "Why can't you keep yourself together?!"

Suddenly, his gaze turned towards the end of the alleyway at the sight of a strange-looking woman in a black dress. She had two young children standing on either side of her and her long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail. It reminded Luigi of someone he used to know very well, but he could not tell whether or not it was really her.

"Is that someone I used to know?" Luigi asked himself. "If so, then she's changed a lot too."

Suddenly, a rusted door leading into the building to Luigi's right swung open and a group of four rebels, all of varying heights, stormed out of the building. He was unable to make out any of their faces since they were all wearing masks over their faces.

"Hey! What are you doing out here in the alleyway?! One of them yelled. "Get over here!"

Luigi tried to run, but his progress was impeded by a large crack in the ground that caused him trip and fall face-first onto the pavement. The widest member of the group of rebels grabbed Luigi by his hands and started dragging him across the ground and into the dark building in which they had come from. Luigi tried to escape, but even his newly acquired strength was somehow not enough to save himself from the grasp of the man's large hands. The other members of the group followed closely behind as the skinniest member of the group closed the door behind him and entered the dimly lit room.

* * *

"Let go of me!" Luigi shouted as he tried to squirm away. The large man simply covered his mouth and muffled his words.

"Shhhh!" he said, guiding Luigi to a small torn up chair. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to recruit you in the fight against the almighty dictator. Allow me to introduce ourselves. We are the _Sons of Luigi_. Our names aren't very important in this desperate organization, for we all share the same identity, the same wish, and the same cause...and even perhaps the same fate. We keep our personal identities to ourselves whenever we are undertaking dangerous operations. But before I get into the details of our rebellion, I want to know a little more about you... That's some fancy weapon you have there, where did you get it?"

"I had it forged myself." Luigi began in a dark, yet peaceful, tone. "I spent the last five years training in Sarasaland's most dreadful military course to fight and defeat the evil Koopa King on my own. It wasn't easy, but I think I have what it takes to finally defeat him."

"Wait a second..." said the fat man. "What do you mean when you say when you have what it takes to _finally _defeat him? Have you run into him before?"

"Well...yeah...I've ran into him a few times in the past." Luigi said, not trying to give out his true identity.

"Who are you exactly? Your voice sounds oddly familiar. Have I seen you before?" the fat man asked. "Take your mask off. I want to see your face now."

"I...I don't think that would be necessary." Luigi said. Suddenly, the fat man picked up a large gun from the top of a nearby table and pointed it at Luigi's head. Luigi was shocked at this reaction and started to sweat a little.

"TAKE YOUR MASK OFF!" said the fat man. "DO IT! Or I'll assume that you're really working for Bowser! Let me see your damned face!"

Slowly, but surely, Luigi removed the wet mask from his face and revealed himself to the rebels. The fat man gasped and dropped the gun on the floor as the other three shared the same reaction as him.

"Missed me?" Luigi asked in a slightly cocky tone.

"L...Lu...Luigi?!" the fat man uttered under his own breath. "Is that really you?! I thought you were dead!" he lifted his mask off and revealed his face to Luigi. It was his and Mario's long-time dreaded cousin, Wario. Surprisingly, he did not seem at all disappointed with Luigi's presence, but rather relieved and in awe. He was a lot different from what Luigi remembered. His famous yellow hat, yellow shirt, and purple overalls were replaced a dirty, greasy white sleeveless shirt, a sleeveless, torn black leather jacket that had sleeves at one time but not anymore, as well as dark green olive-colored pants. Wario also sported an eye patch over his left eye, evidence from a bloody battle that occurred in the recent past. The only things that did not change were his zigzag styled mustache, his pointed pink nose, and his obesity.

"Wario?!" Luigi said. "Is that really you? It can't be!"

"I never thought I would ever be saying this, but welcome back, Luigi!" Wario said, as he embraced Luigi for the first time in his life. Luigi felt very uncomfortable, but was surprised that he never even bothered trying to hurt him. In all the years Luigi had known him, he had always threatened to hurt or kill him for no apparent reason. The fall of the Mushroom Kingdom obviously had a profound effect on the chubby man, especially since he was part of group that was named after him. Nonetheless, Luigi still felt uneasy.

"Waluigi! Toad! Parakarry! Uncover your masks!" Wario suddenly shouted. They did as they were told and revealed themselves to Luigi, who was even more surprised than before. Just like Wario, as well as the deceased Mario, their trademark appearances have since faded and turned dark. Waluigi was dressed the same way as Wario, with a white sleeveless shirt, a leather jacket that still had sleeves, and dark green pants, all of which replaced the trademark purple he used to wear. There were a few large red lines on his face; scratches from something sharp that managed to cut his face during a fight, Luigi figured. Toad was the only one that did not seem to change much. The only difference that Luigi could notice was the vest he usually wore; instead of being a dark blue, it displayed a dull shade of gray. Parakarry, the former mail Koopa for Toad Town, was wrapped up with bandages and bruised from head to toe. Luigi had a hard time recognizing him without his bag full of envelopes, since he carried an AK-47 assault rifle instead. He could also see a large crack near the middle of his shell. It was clear in Luigi's eyes that everyone he knew who had since found themselves trapped in the Mushroom Kingdom were sick and tired of Bowser and were doing whatever they could to stop him. He was no longer alone.

"It's been too long, cousin!" Waluigi said. "You're the reason why this rebellion formed. Everyone's been worried sick about you for the past decade!"

"I know." Luigi replied. "I saw your poster outside the door. Ever since Bowser cut the radios signals from the Mushroom Kingdom away from the rest of the world, I did not know what to think of the current situation here. But now I can see that this whole place has literally gone to Hell. I remember when Sarasaland tried sending its militia here into Toad Town to see what was going on, but they were all killed by Bowser's 'new technology'."

"It really is unfortunate." Toad said in a melancholy tone. "Bowser has taken all of the star power from the world and using it to power the empire that is literally hanging over our heads. With no power left, the world will rot, just like what's already happening here in Toad Town. The castle's been destroyed, and all of the greenery has turned brown because of the lack sunlight we've been getting for the past five years or so because of that fucking 'rotting pizza' above us."

Luigi's eyes widened at Toad's last sentence. He had never heard him use that word in the entire time that they've known each other.

"And since all of the sewage from the city above makes its way down here," Parakarry continued, "we have no fresh food or water. As a result, there are people suffering from nasty diseases that are capable of inducing death among their victims. You see corpses lying in the streets every day as Koopa Troops under Bowser's regime storm the streets, killing off innocent people who are suspected of carrying disease or are working against them. They even kill innocent people for no reason at all. Also, since there isn't any reliable plumbing service here anymore, people have no choice but to throw their feces out their bedroom windows, just like in the dark ages."

"No wonder it smells so bad here. Well, that's something I can expect from an evil dictator like Bowser." Luigi said. "I've been on enough adventures with Mario to know that Bowser needs to be sentenced to death and rightfully sent to Hell."

"Where is Mario?" Wario asked. "Is he still around?"

"Well...he..." Luigi paused.

"Yes?" Waluigi said. Luigi lowered his head and planted his face in the palms of his hands, trying to hide the emotional pain that was inside of him.

"Are you alright?" Toad asked.

Luigi raised his head, with his right eye leaking a tear. "Mario's gone."

Everyone else in the room gasped and felt their eyes water a little as an unbearable silence crept over them. Luigi started crying quietly to himself as he relived the tragedy in his mind all over again. "He was murdered in front of me by a bunch of Koopas! We were arguing before it happened. I wish I could've worked things out with him; he may have been my brother, but he was the only 'parent' I ever had! I wish I would've died instead!" By this point, Luigi was in heavy mourning, just as he was not too long ago when he stood over Mario's bloody body.

"This is the only thing I have left of the great times we used to have!" Luigi said, taking out the old, shattered picture from the inside of his trench coat. Everyone else just watched in sorrow as Luigi continued shedding tears on the furniture. Waluigi went over to him, but Luigi just shooed him away.

"Leave me alone!" Luigi said.

"Geez, Luigi! I was just trying to make you feel better!" Waluigi said. "Can't you at least accept the fact that I feel sorry for you and I'm trying to make you think straight?"

"Why should you and Wario feel sorry for me anyway? You and Wario have always hated our guts and tried making our lives as miserable as possible for the past twenty years or so! Why should you guys care about Mario being dead and trying to help me through my depression?"

"Luigi! There is no time for this kind of conflict! Me and Waluigi have done terrible things to you and Mario in the past and we can't feel bad enough already for doing those things to you." Wario said. "That was why both of us named the rebellion after you, just after Mario lost to Bowser five years ago. We wanted to make up for all of the wrongs we've done to you by defeating Bowser in your name!"

"Wait..." Luigi said. "You guys are the leaders of this rebellion?"

"Yes." Waluigi replied. "We hoped one day that you would return and help us win back our freedom from the evil dictator. It was one of the main reasons, if not _the _reason we formed this movement. We wanted you to come back and help us before things got too bad. After all, you are family to us. Bowser has gone too far by killing Mario. We're willing to fight alongside you to avenge your brother's death, all of us are. Am I right?"

"You bet." Toad said.

"Anything for you and the rest of the kingdom, Luigi!" Parakarry added.

Luigi lifted his head up with renewed hope.

"So you see? You can trust us." Wario said. "We need you, Luigi. _All of us do_. From the looks of it, and based on what you told us earlier, you are the only person in the world that is capable of dismantling the evil empire. We don't have time for an interview, but consider you as more than qualified for the job! Welcome to the rebellion, Luigi!"

Wario extended his arm and opened his hand for Luigi to shake. Luigi shook Wario's hand and nodded with approval. For the first time in his life, Luigi was able to make friends with his evil cousins, who were not so evil after all.

"So, when do I start?" Luigi asked.

"Right now." Wario replied. "Let's go over what our plan is for tomorrow evening."

"Before we do that," Luigi said, "do you have a light with you? I think I'm going to have a smoke."

"Smoking's bad for you, Luigi." Wario said. "Since when have you taken up such an addicting habit?"

"Ever since I joined the Sarasalandian military for my training..." Luigi replied. "They say it helps ease the pain one gets when fighting on a battlefield and that it shows that you've got the dick to do what's necessary to win a fight."

"I see." Wario replied. "Here, use my flint. When we defeat Bowser, I'll be sure to help you kick the habit. What does Daisy think of your smoking?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out later." Luigi said, taking a cigar out of his pocket and lighting it until the smoke started filling the room. Wario was choking from the fumes.

"Yeah, we definitely need to kick you off that habit of yours." Wario said. "Either that, or start puffing outside. That way I don't have to deal with this obnoxious smoke."

"I say we take a break right now. Hey Wario, is there any alcohol left in the fridge?" Toad asked.

"There's a couple of beers and a flask of whiskey." Wario replied. "What would you like?"

"I just want a beer." Toad said.

"You've got it." Wario replied.

"I'll have the other beer." Parakarry said.

"Who wants the last whiskey?" Wario asked. "I'm surprised none of you wanted this."

"I would take it," Waluigi said, "but I think I'll let Luigi have it, since he's our newest member."

"Do you want the last whiskey, Luigi?" Wario asked.

"Only, if you want me to get hammered." Luigi replied.

* * *

It had been an hour since Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toad, and Parakarry started taking a break. Wario had since pulled out the playing cards and started played different games with the others such as Poker and King's Corners. After they got tired of playing, Wario cracked the door open to make sure no Koopa soldiers were coming. It was darker outside than it was earlier, which signaled the arrival of the night shift.

"Alright guys. We need to start heading down into the basement. If the Koopa army finds us here, they'll kill us for sure. You all know the drill."

"You mean it's not safe to stay in here?" Luigi asked.

"There's no place in this town that's safe anymore, Luigi." Wario said. "The basement is about the only safe place there is. As far as I know, the door leading down there is the only door left in the entire Mushroom Kingdom that has a key."

"Are we going to discuss our next plan of action regarding our attack on the city above?" Waluigi asked.

"Yes." Wario replied. "We'll discuss it once we settle ourselves and get comfortable. I'm sure Luigi is dying to know what we plan on doing. Toad. Parakarry. Would you mind showing Luigi down to our meeting area?"

"Not at all, Wario." Toad said. "Come on, Luigi. We'll show you the way."

Luigi followed Toad and Parakarry down a set of crumbling stairs to a dimly lit room with almost no furniture, except for five old mattresses with blankets and pillows strewn over them, all of which were laying on top of a cold concrete floor. Pipes were seen lining the ceiling and cobwebs had taken over every corner of the room.

"This is our meeting room," Parakarry said, "as well as our sleeping quarters. We apologize for the lack of sanitation. There really is no way for us to keep this place in good shape."

"I think I already figured that out." Luigi said. "Don't you sometimes use the upstairs level as your place of meeting?"

"Are you kidding?! There are Koopas rampaging that place all the time! We only go up there to snag the alcohol in the old, outdated fridge that's up there." Toad said. "Apparently, the Koopas use any abandoned place as their alcohol storage buildings. Either that, or Bowser has strict orders regarding their alcohol consumption. At this point, we really don't give a damn. All we care about is staying out of plain sight."

"I understand." Luigi replied. "What's in that room?"

Luigi pointed to closed and beat-up door to the right of where they were standing.

"You might not want to go in there for a while." Parakarry said. "That's the room we use to relieve ourselves."

"But there's no plumbing!" Luigi said with a slight grimace. "What do you use? A bucket?"

"That and whatever we find lying around." Toad said. "I hope you can live without using toilet paper for a while, because there hasn't been any here in Toad Town for the past three years or so."

"I'll be fine, Toad." Luigi replied. "It's not like I've gone without it before."

Just then, Wario and Waluigi walked into the room.

"Alright, everyone. Gather around the circle! We're going to talk serious business now!" Wario shouted as everyone sat on a mattress. "Luigi, you take the remaining mattress over in the corner next to Waluigi. It's the only one that doesn't have springs poking through the top."

"What do you want me to do with my sword?" Luigi asked.

"Just set it down next to you." Wario said. "It's your most valuable possession! Don't let it out your sight!"

"So, Wario. About that attack we had scheduled." Waluigi began. "Where is it going to take place this time?"

"We're going to detonate one of the nuclear reactors that keep the city above the saucer functioning." Wario said. "And by nuclear reactors, I mean star power reactors."

"You must be out of your mind!" Toad said. "Do you know how much power is being stored inside that reactor?! The explosion generated from such an outburst would be enough to kill thousands of innocent people! Part of that giant saucer structure could fall onto the old ruins down here and maybe even set off the rest of the structure and cause it to collapse!"

"Isn't that what we want though?" Parakarry asked.

"Guys! Just calm the fuck down!" Wario said. "Let me explain. First, we will find our way up to the top of the giant saucer structure by riding one of the sophisticated railways used by the Koopa Army. A lot of people use the system too, but since Bowser has all of our 'criminal records' we'll need to find some sort of disguise. The least we can do is to produce a set of fake identification cards, but even then the Koopa forces will be on top of us if we even tried getting close to the rail system."

"So what do suggest we do?" Waluigi asked.

"We'll hitch a ride in one of the empty cargo boxcars. Once we ride the spiral helix track to the top of the saucer, we'll make our way to one of the reactors. From there, it's a simple matter sneaking past security and setting up the bomb."

"What bomb?" Luigi asked. "What are we going to use to blow up the reactor?"

"That's where you come in, Luigi." Wario said. "Once we get past security and override the security codes that keep the doors locked, you will be in charge of setting up the detonation with a special input code at the main computer terminal. I found this during one of our previous raids on the city."

Wario took out a small piece of paper and handed it over to Luigi, who looked at the code with a perplexed expression.

"You want me to blow up the reactor using this input code?" Luigi asked. "Is there any reason why you chose me for this operation?"

"Not only are you a skilled fighter and swordsman," Wario began, "but you also know how to stay alive. You've had much more experience than all of us ever have combined in the past twenty years, because you used to fight alongside your brother."

"Yes, but what does that have to do with me typing in a code?!" Luigi asked.

"You're the only one out of the five us that has had bad personal experiences with the evil dictator." Wario replied. "It would be wise, if not symbolic, for you to blow up the reactor and release the star power vested within back into the world for the good of everyone else. Think of it as revenge for everything that Bowser and his troops have done to you and your family up to this point. We will stand with you in your efforts."

"So you're saying I'm the new leader of this rebellion." Luigi said.

"Well, that depends on how well you carry out this first task of yours." Wario replied. "If I like what I see, I'll pay you and promote you as leader of the rebellion. After that, you have the choice of going after Bowser on your own or having a few of us tag along with you."

"I'll think about it." Luigi replied. "I'm sure I'm going to use _some _help along the way. I just more time to think about it tonight."

"That sounds fair enough." Wario said.

"Wait a minute." Waluigi said. "If we blow up one of the reactors, what are we supposed to do _after_ that happens?"

"We're going to infiltrate Bowser's main headquarters building and see if we can take him out once and for all." Wario said.

"But, Wario, security is going to be very tight!" Toad said. "Bowser not only has Koopa guards lurking everywhere, but he also has surveillance cameras set up everywhere! There's no way we can get inside that building without getting spotted!"

"He's got a point." Parakarry said. "If we all just run right in there, they will see us dead for sure! We're going to need a different strategy in order to get inside the building."

"Isn't there a different way to get inside the headquarters?" Luigi asked.

"Not that I know of..." Wario replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, usually if there's a building with an elevator, there's always bound to be a flight of stairs as well. Do you know if Bowser has surveillance running through the stairway?"

"As far as I know, I don't believe so." Wario said. "But other choice do we have? We might have to take this risk."

"If it turns out that there is surveillance in the stairway, I can easily figure something else out." Luigi said. "Otherwise, I think we'll be golden."

"We'll discuss more of this in the morning." Wario said. "But right now, I think it would be wise for us to get some much needed sleep. We're going to need all of the energy we possibly can to carry out our operation. Remember, always trust your instinct. That's our motto. Got it Luigi?"

"Don't worry, I've got it." Luigi replied. "I _always_ trust my instincts."

* * *

It had been over an hour since Wario turned off the basement light and everyone climbed into their old mattresses and fell into a deep sleep. Although Luigi was the only one whose mattress did not have springs poking through, he was the only one who could not fall asleep. It was not just Wario's loud snoring that kept him awake. Mario's bloody demise kept ringing through Luigi's mind like a bad migraine and he was still perplexed as to the identity of that woman he saw earlier from the alleyway. _Who the hell was she?_ The more he thought about it, the more his mind began to tense up. Luigi decided to take him mind off of it by climbing out of bed and walking over to the small 'bathroom'. He opened the door and then immediately closed it, for the odor inside was putrid enough to make him hurl. However, there was nowhere else for him to go, so he opened the door again and walked inside, trying to hide the stench by holding his breath. Luigi found a small light switch, which to his amazement still had some power running through, and closed the door behind him.

Luigi walked out of the room about a minute later and heard rustling among the mattresses as someone tossed and turned.

"Can't sleep, Luigi?" came Waluigi's voice as Luigi had a hard time seeing where he was going.

"No." he replied.

"It's about Mario isn't it?" Waluigi asked.

"Yeah." Luigi responded in a tired tone. "I still can't get over the fact that he's gone. My life has never felt so empty before. It's almost like someone reached inside my body and stole one of my vital organs."

"Take it easy, Luigi." Waluigi said. "You have to get some rest. We'll need you when we carry out that raid tomorrow. Don't let your emotions get the best of you."

"I'll try not to." Luigi said, becoming emotional. "It's hard when you haven't seen anybody for ten years and the last thing you say to them is something rude before you realize that they were murdered in front of you and you can't take back anything you've said."

Waluigi said nothing. All he could do was tell Luigi to go back to bed. Luigi climbed back into bed, but could not get the painful memories out of his head. He silently let his tears roll down his cheeks for the next half hour before his sadness ended up sending him into a deep sleep. Then he began to dream...

* * *

**Hey, everyone! I have finally come around to updating this story, and since it's been such a long time, I ended up making this chapter really long. Luigi has now met up the political rebellion known as _The Sons __of Luigi_, whose purpose is to try and take Bowser out and end his unlimited authority over the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as the rest of the world. It turns out the leader of the group is Wario, Mario and Luigi's once evil cousin. He, along with Waluigi, Toad, and Parakarry, have since welcomed Luigi into the group as their guest of honor and are now working towards another planned raid on the city above their heads by blowing up one of the star reactors and releasing a large part of the naturally occurring star power back into the world.**

**Luigi is still in a huge state of depression and trauma from seeing his brother getting slashed to death, even though he seems to be feeling slightly better. Will he eventually snap his way out of these thoughts, or will his emotions get the best of him later on? These and many other events will be revealed later on in the story.**

**I never mentioned this anywhere in my other books, because I thought it was obvious, but I'll say it right here just to be safe: I do not own any of the characters, themes, or anything else that belongs to Nintendo and Sega. I only own the fictional plots I create for those characters, themes, and everything else that belong to Nintendo and Sega. I will see all of you guys in the next chapter :)**

**saturn95**


	4. New Recruits

New Recruits

Meanwhile, above the giant saucer at the top of the tallest building (cleverly named Bowser Headquarters), the evil dictator himself was pacing in front of the large window and lightning flashed across the dark sky. Looking down, the circular city was bustling with activity. The large streetlamps, powered by pure star power, illuminated the surrounding building with little effort. The cold winter rain started pouring down in huge torrents as the growing thunder clouds started getting too heavy with moisture, something that the Mushroom Kingdom, particularly the doomed Toad Town, was in dire need of. The obscured sun had since set over the cloudy horizon and the cold night was about to set in. Bowser simply smiled and gave out an evil chuckle as his gaze focused on everything outside his headquarters building. For once in his life, he was actually accomplishing something.

"This will be the fifth anniversary of me defeating Mario once and for all!" Bowser said. "I've come such a long way since then, and especially since the eighties. But none of that matters anymore, because I'm now in control over this entire kingdom! Once I start reaching out into other kingdoms, I will eventually take control over the entire world! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

Suddenly, the door to Bowser's office opened, and in stepped his youngest son, Bowser Jr. alongside his new girlfriend, Brittany Kooplé. Bowser Sr. was greeted by their arrival.

"Good evening, father." Bowser Jr. said. "How are things going here in the office?"

"Not bad. " Bowser Sr. replied. "I see you've brought your girlfriend along with you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!" Brittany said as she shook his hand. "Your son has told me a lot of great things about you! It must certainly feel great knowing that you went against that Mario and finally defeated him."

"Well, all I can say is that it's great to finally have some peace of mind after all those years of fighting and miserable failure." Bowser said. "As you already may know I was finally able to relocate myself right over Toad Town and away from that volcanic wasteland with the help of my two new assistants. They've been a real help, especially for getting all the technology and other supplies I needed in order to build this magnificent city. The only thing I question I have for them is where have they been all my life? But none of that matters now. They helped me get what I want, and now I can live without the constant threat of takeover and demolition from surrounding areas."

"I still don't get why you had to get rid of Kamek, father." Bowser Jr. said. "He tried to help you for all those years."

"I just had to do it, son." Bowser Sr. replied. "If he has failed me that many times, what makes you think that he was going to be any more successful? He deserved to be executed for his failure. That's that. No question about it."

"I understand, father." Bowser Jr. said. "I just figured I'd stop by and say hello. It's been at least a month since I've seen you, and I was beginning to wonder if you were still alive."

"I was beginning to wonder the same thing, too!" Bowser Sr. replied. "After all, you've been with Brittany a lot lately. I take it your relationship is going well."

"It sure is, father." the son replied. "I proposed to Brittany yesterday."

"Really?" Bowser asked.

"I said yes!" Brittany said. "So it looks like I'll be your daughter in law very soon!"

"Well, I'll be!" Bowser said. "Congratulations, son! I don't usually say this with other people around, but you are my best son. Don't tell your brothers I said that..."

"Thanks, dad!" Bowser Jr. replied. "You're the best father I've ever had."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a Koopa officer stormed into the room towards Bowser's large desk, the only prominent piece of furniture in the room.

"I have some important news to share with you, sir!" said the officer as he struggled to catch his own breath.

"What's the matter with you?" Bowser asked. "Did the elevator not cooperate with you, or something?"

"No, it's just that you're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you. It may shock you at first, but I think you will find it very pleasing...well, at least the first bit of news that I'm going to share."

"Well, stop wasting your breath and tell me what the news is, damn it!" Bowser said.

"While one of our platoons raided an apartment in the _Under Town_, we were able to find your nemesis, the once great Mario."

"So, what did you do with him?" Bowser asked.

"_We killed him_." said the officer. "Mario is _dead_."

Bowser almost did a double take when he heard the last sentence. Was it really true? Was his long-time nemesis really dead? Bowser could not believe it, but at the same time, he felt a strong surge of pure happiness start to bubble inside him, something that he had not felt since he himself was just a small Koopa child. Bowser stood on top of his desk and roared in delight.

"I thought I'd never live to see the day Mario dies! Looks like its _game over_ for you buddy!" Bowser said, jumping off his desk and causing the whole room to shake. "This is the greatest day of my life!"

Bowser Jr. and Brittany just stood there in silence and watched as Bowser continued dancing around the room until he went back over to his desk where he sat down in his large leather chair.

"How long ago did he die?" Bowser Jr. asked the officer.

"He was killed about five hours ago..." said the officer. "The only reason we were able to find him and take him out was because we were on the pursuit for an outsider that managed to get past all of our security checkpoints. Unfortunately, he got away after he managed to wipe out the whole platoon!"

"What?! An intruder!" Bowser said. "Where was he last seen?"

"He was last seen near Mario's apartment." said the officer. "He was wearing a large brown-colored trench coat, black pants, and a sleeveless gray shirt as far as our other troops could tell. He was also wielding on his back a large sword, one that I've never seen before in my entire life. I'm guessing it was custom-made."

"What did his face look like?" Brittany asked.

"Well, we couldn't see any facial features, because the guy was wearing a mask. But as far as we could tell, the intruder was a human."

"Hmm...That's very odd." Bowser said. "Nonetheless, I'm still bothered by it! I want you to run full scan of the list of criminals and outlaws in our database and see if any of them match the description you just gave me. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir." said the officer Koopa. "But before I do that, there's still something else that I want to bring to your attention, and it may or may not please you."

"Keep going." Bowser said.

"About two hours or so after we lost the human intruder, there was another outsider that infiltrated the Under Town. He was able to make his way all the way up here on our railway system and it appears he has no criminal history, or any history for that matter, on any of our databases. Fortunately, we were able to catch him and take him to one of our torture chamber facilities."

"What's this intruder like?" Bowser asked.

"He's unlike any intelligent being I've ever laid my eyes on." the officer replied. "I want to say he's foreign, but I can't really be sure. For all I know he could be alien. As far as physical features are concerned, he has really spiked blue fur like that of hedgehog, wears bright red running shoes and he runs _really _fast! Now that I think about it, I think he is a hedgehog...Anyway, when we interviewed him earlier, he claimed to be the fastest runner around. But apparently, he wasn't fast enough to get past our army!"

"Does he have a name?" Bowser asked.

"Yes." the officer replied. "He said his name is _Sonic_."

"Sonic? That's an interesting name." Bowser said. "When is his next interview?"

"Tomorrow morning. You should come along."

"Maybe, I will." Bowser replied. "I'm kind of curious to see this creature. I want to know more about where he comes from and what his business here is. Obviously, it can't be for good intentions."

"Hey, dad..." Bowser Jr. said. "I hate to interrupt your conversation, but Brittany and I have to get out of here. We have something really special planned for this evening. I'll probably come by sometime tomorrow to help you with some of your operations if that's alright with you."

"Sure! Come in anytime!" Bowser said. "If I'm not here, you can always call me and we can meet up somewhere. Bring Brittany with you too."

"Alright, dad. See you later!" Bowser Jr. said as he walked out the door.

"Nice meeting you!" Brittany said as she followed behind.

"Well, I guess I should get going to. I'm going to go through all the people's records and see if I come up with any suspects that match up with the human intruder. It should take me only a night to do that."

"I really appreciate your hard work...uh." Bowser said, as he struggled to remember the Koopa's name. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Carl." said the officer. "Carl's my name."

"Right." Bowser replied, slightly embarrassed. "Check all of the records as soon as you possibly can. I have the horrible gut-wrenching feeling that this loose intruder might be a huge threat to us. After all, he had already killed an entire platoon of Koopas!"

"I'll be sure to get right on it." Carl said. "By the way, how come your assistants aren't with you today?"

"They have the weekend off." Bowser said. "I figured they needed a break from their jobs for a couple of days, so I gave it to them."

"I see." Carl replied. "Well, I guess I have another busy night ahead of me. I'll be sure to get my search results back to you by tomorrow."

"Excellent!" Bowser said. "See you then."

"Will do."

Carl left the room and Bowser had the whole office to himself again. As he paced back and forth in front of the window, a disturbing thought began to cross his mind. Could his perfect Utopian city be in danger? Was the intruder really a threat to his growing empire? Bowser was quick to deny it; after all, even though the suspect got into the Under Town, he would have a tremendously hard time trying to make his way up to the top of the saucer. As a result, Bowser did not even worry about it. After a few more moments, he decided to retire for the night to get his much-needed beauty rest.

* * *

**Hey everyone! I have finally updated. Yay! Bowser has just learned from one his Koopa officers that Mario has been killed and he is screaming for joy. On the same token, he learns that there have been two intruders in the "Under Town" which is how they refer to the former Toad Town. We now know the identity of the second intruder, and it turns out that it's Sonic the Hedgehog! Now the story will officially earn its status as a crossover! The two assistants that Bowser mentioned are his "new recruits" as the title of the chapter suggests, but we still don't know their identities. We also now know the fate of Bowser's former assistant, Kamek. It appears that he had been executed by Bowser, but it is still unclear how he was executed. Who are Bowser's new recruits? What is Sonic's reason for travelling to the Mushroom Kingdom? The answers shall be revealed later on as the story progresses...**

**saturn95 **


	5. Danger Ensues In the Streets

Danger Ensues In the Streets

Luigi awoke from his nightmare breathing and sweating heavily. The image of Bowser's frightening face was still stuck in his mind and all he could do now was question his ability to defeat him as he sat up in the dark room. Everyone else was still asleep and regaining their energy except for him and he was beginning to feel even more drained than earlier. His mind turned back to his brother, and then to Peach, Mario's former wife and lover. He had to find her, but he had no idea where to start looking. But he did not want to leave his friends and cousins behind without a reliable ally.

"What's a man like me going to do?" Luigi asked himself as he contemplated his own thoughts. "Will I ever be able to bring things back to the way they used to be? Probably not. It just won't be the same without my brother…"

Luigi's upper body once again met the tattered mattress as he closed his eyes and tried falling back asleep. He tried counting yoshies, but that did not seem to help. He was beginning to experience his once chronic symptoms of sleep deprivation, something that has rarely occurred in the past twenty years since him and Mario defeated Bowser and saved the world from the wrath of the Seven Crystal Stars. Looking back to that time, Luigi began feeling depressed and regretful. Although he was only nineteen when he and his brother defeated Bowser for the first time, he was not there for his brother when he faced the evil dictator in that fateful duel five years ago. Luigi had heard about it while he was still in training, but never really saw the consequences of Mario's failure until he ventured back into the Mushroom Kingdom in the last twenty-four hours.

_This was all my fault_. Luigi thought. _I was the one that got mad at my brother for taking my credit and ended up leaving him, along with everyone else in the dust when they needed me most. Now, Bowser is becoming dictator of the planet and my brother is dead! I wish I could back in time and fix all of it. Maybe Bowser would not have been so lucky in destroying my home town. I wish I would have stayed. My wife and children would have had a better life too… If only I wasn't such a fool!_

After a moment of deep thought and regret, Luigi began to hear what sounded like footsteps coming from upstairs. Curious, he stood up and navigated around the dark room, making sure to stay clear of Wario and Waluigi, who were sleeping near the stairway leading up to the main floor of the abandoned and run-down pad they were staying in. Luigi was about halfway up the stairs when he started hearing strange voices and the footsteps became louder. He moved his ear up to the locked door and the distinct chatter of Bowser's Koopa Troops as they continued walking around the room on the other side of the door, where he and the others had a sip to drink earlier. He heard the refrigerator door open and close, as well as footsteps that were nearing the door.

"I've always wondered what was behind this door." said a voice on the other side of the barrier separating Luigi from certain death.

"Wanna find out?" said another voice. "We can always try basing this thing open."

Luigi's heart was racing as his fear began to creep up rapidly. He had no choice but to stay awake now; they were going to break down the door and Luigi immediately a surge of energy run through his body. He had to warn the others of the coming danger. Being careful of his footing, Luigi rushed back down the stairs in the pitch-blackness and went over to Waluigi and gave him a swift and powerful nudge to wake him up. He opened his eyes and saw Luigi with terrified look on his face.

"Wake up, damnit!" Luigi whispered.

"What the hell is it?!" Waluigi replied. "Go back to sleep!"

"This is serious!" Luigi said. "There are Koopa Troops upstairs and they are about to break through that locked door and come down here!"

"What?! How did they manage to find us?!" Waluigi said.

"I don't know, but we have to wake up Wario, Toad, and Parakarry!" Luigi replied. "We have to get out here! If I have to, I'll use my sword to protect us!"

Suddenly, the door upstairs was bashed down, and Koopa Troops began making their way down the stairs. Luigi dived for his sword and hid behind the corner to make for an efficient surprise attack on the Koopas. Waluigi was frantically trying to get the others to wake up.

"Looks like I'll have to use my sword." Luigi whispered. "Watch out for blood. It can get rather messy."

"What?!" Waluigi whispered back.

The two Koopas that came down the stairs were quick to spot Waluigi on the ground.

"Hey! It's one of those rebels!" one of the Koopas shouted. "KILL HIM!"

Waluigi screamed as both of the troops started running towards him. Luigi immediately sprang into action and stabbed one of the Koopas in the chest, while decapitating the other as he was about the strike his cousin. Waluigi looked at Luigi with an expression of amazement. The only other time he had ever seen any slice and dice action was when he still had a television. But this time, he was seeing it with his very eyes. The three others were shocked at the bloody mess as they awoke from their short-lived slumbers.

"What the hell is going on?!" Wario shouted. "How did these Koopas get in here?!"

"They broke their way in!" Luigi said. "They found us, so I had to kill them with my sword! They were going to kill us!"

"We need to get out of here and make our way to the top side of the saucer as fast as we can! We have no time to collaborate about this!" Wario said. "We must find someplace else that's safer and then go from there."

"I think they're mainly after me." Luigi said. "They obviously know that I'm still here."

"Don't worry about it, Luigi!" Parakarry said. "I have an AK-47. Nothing will stand a chance against it!"

"I think his sword beats your gun." Toad said. "No offense, but it doesn't need bullets to effective."

"Can we just shut up and the fuck out of here?!" Wario shouted. "Everybody grab whatever you'll need most. It's going to be one hell of a time trying to get away!"

…

The five friends ran out of the building and made their way down the dark alleyway towards the open street. Luigi and Wario led the way, while Waluigi, Toad, and Parakarry followed closely behind. Looking around, Luigi was surprised by the lack of artificial lighting in the city, even though he could clearly tell that it was still nighttime. The only light that could be seen were the bright flashes of lightning along the horizon. The bright flashes managed to make their way from outside of Toad Town, revealing the dramatic architecture of the giant saucer that "floated" above the city. Another thing that surprised Luigi was how silent the city was. The only sounds he could hear other than the distant thunder were the eerie metallic movements of the saucer as the intense activity of the city above it created intense vibrations.

Emerging into the open street, Luigi realized that he was in a familiar part of Toad Town. Just across the nearby plaza was the once famous Club 64 restaurant, now just a sad run-down piece of architecture with broken windows and large chunks of stone and brick missing. He and Mario always used to eat there back in the old days, as it used to be a popular landmark of Toad Town during and after the reign of King Toadstool twenty years ago. The more he looked at the destroyed restaurant, the more Luigi was beginning to miss the large plates of spaghetti and bagels that it used to offer. In an effort to curve his sadness and take his mind off of food, Luigi took out another cigar from his coat pocket and lit it with Wario's flint.

"Really, Luigi?" Wario asked. "Do you have to smoke right now?"

"No." Luigi replied. "I just feel like it."

"There's something on you mind, isn't there?" Waluigi asked. "Is it Mario?"

"Well, yeah. Sort of." Luigi replied. He pointed over to the Club 64 building. "Do you remember when you and Wario tried clobbering us to the ground in Club 64 twenty years ago right before King Toadstool's funeral and mine and Mario's first journey?"

"I do actually." Waluigi said. "Boy do I regret that…"

"What we did all that time ago wasn't right." Wario said. "I wish I would've changed my feelings towards you sooner, because I never got to enjoy the times we saw each other in the past. Now look at this place! It's only a sad reminder of the better times of the Mushroom Kingdom's history and all of the things I regret not doing sooner, like making up for my bad behavior."

"Don't worry about it!" Luigi said. "You've already made up for that!"

"Uh, guys…" Toad said. "We have company!"

Looking around, the five friends saw Koopa Troops running at them from every directions. They all had weapons with them, particularly guns similar to what Parakarry was holding in his arms. As they started firing, the five friends made a mad dash towards Club 64 and ran through the open doorway, past overturned and destroyed furniture and onto the stage area, where popular music artists used to make frequent appearances.

"Here, take this Luigi." Parakarry said, handing him his AK-47. "Use it."

"Why don't you want to shoot?" Luigi asked. "Is your arm hurting you or something?"

"I want you to have it. You have a better aim than I do, at least that's what I assume." Parakarry replied. "After all, you were in the military for quite some time."

"But, Parakarry…" Luigi began. Just then, a whole horde of Koopas burst through the open doorway and through weak spots in the deteriorating walls of the restaurant. Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and Toad started firing at the crowd of Koopas. They were able to knock a few of them down, but the crowds just kept on pouring in.

"Hurry! Up the stairs!" Toad said, pointing up to the second-floor balcony and to a door that read ROOF ACCESS. The five friends ran up the brittle wooden stairs as bullets flew in their direction and obliterated the rotten wooden banisters that lined the edges of the stairway. The friends tried fending off the oncoming enemies with their own bullets as they made it to the second-floor balcony and ran to the emergency exit. Luigi bashed the door open with a swift kick and they all started making their way up the rooftop of the restaurant. Little did they know that more danger was waiting for them up there…

* * *

**Uh oh! Looks like the Sons of Luigi have found themselves in a sticky situation as they run through the decaying streets and up to the old roof of the once popular Club 64 restaurant. During the battles that the five friends face, Luigi once again finds himself wandering down memory lane.**

**There are a few references to my other Mario story, _The Rising of Two Heroes _that are featured in this chapter, the funeral of King Toadstool being one of them (as mentioned in the story description). For those of you who have already been following that story, it should ring a bell. But for those who haven't read it, I am not giving any other spoilers! Just as I mentioned on my profile page, it would defeat the purpose of having you, the reader, find out what happens on your own. If you're curious, feel free to check it out. It's still a working progress, but it spans three volumes so far, so there is plenty of reading material to look over!**

**In the meantime, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Toad, and Parakarry are fighting for their survival as Bowser's troops get them involved in a violent pursuit. What other dangers could be looking for them on the roof? The next chapter will reveal the answer. Also, I'll be sure to introduce some Sonic dialogue in the coming chapters that way the story isn't entirely Mario based as it seems to be at the moment. But then again, this is only the beginning of the story. See you the next time I update :)**

**saturn95 **


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